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Cosmology
Image:Cosmology.jpg|right|Realms Cosmology rect 5 345 89 414 Fugue Plane rect 328 345 403 405 Cynosure rect 280 412 366 458 Negative Energy Plane rect 50 418 122 456 Positive Energy Plane # Neutral Planes circle 177 145 5 Heliopolis circle 221 165 5 House of Nature circle 193 195 5 Warrior's Rest circle 200 110 5 Dragon Eyrie circle 217 218 5 Jotunheim # Celestial Planes circle 53 298 5 Dwarfhome circle 78 277 5 Arvandor desc bottom-left The Material Plane that holds the world of Abeir-Toril is one of many planes of existence. Beyond Toril lie the Elemental Planes, the Positive and Negative Energy planes, and many realms of the deities, demons and devils (collectively called the Outer Planes). The Ethereal and Shadow planes overlap the Material, with the Astral Plane connecting to all of them. __TOC__ Overview The planes of existence are different realities with interwoven connections. Except for rare linking points (portals) the planes are in effect seperate universes with each its own set of natural laws and native creatures. The planes break down into a number of types, Material Plane (Also known as the Prime Material Plane, or just Prime), Transitive Planes, Inner Planes, Outer Planes (Neutral, Celestial or Fiendish) and demiplanes. All the planes fall into different categories of Planar Traits, which desribe what laws govern each plane. Transitive Planes These planes have little in common, except for their most common use: getting from one plane to another. A great number of spells that allow travel from one plane to another, briefly sends travelers through one of the Transitive Planes before they reach their destination. The Shadow Plane and Ethereal Plane are most commonly used for travel within the Material Plane with which they're connected, through spells like Shadow Walk. Each plane has a set of unique native inhabitants. Ethereal Plane The Ethereal Plane is a misty continuum that coexists with the Material Plane. Individuals within the Ethereal Plane can see into the Material Plane, but not vice versa. It is accessed by spells such as etherealness and ethereal jaunt, as well as various portals scattered through the Realms and the planescape. Plane of Shadow The Plane of Shadow is coexistent with the Material Plane, but all colors are drained from the world, everything appearing in gray-tones, and the other senses like hearing, touch and emotion are also dulled when in this eerie plane. The most common way of accessing the plane is through spells and abilities like shadow walk, most often used for covering great distances on the Material Plane undetected and unhindered. Mask and Shar both make their homes within the Shadow Plane. Astral Plane The Astral is an open empty plane, it has no directional gravity so travelers are weightless. The few bits of matter scattered throughout the vast plane are mostly portals leading to every plane in the cosmology. Spells like astral projection and gate access the Astral Plane in one form or another. The deity Ulutiu is suspended in a voluntary stasis within the plane, slumbering unaware that Auril is draining his divine powers ever so slowly. The Inner Planes Also called the planes of power, these realities are incarnations of the basic buildings blocks of the universe. The planes are the four elemental planes and the positive and negative energy plane. All the planes are very inhospitable to all but the most adopted native creatures of the plane. The Elemental Planes The Elemental Planes embody the four basic elements in nature, air, earth, fire and water. The planes are extremely inhospitable except for natives of the plane, such as elementals, genies, mephits and other outsiders. Each Elemental Lord also makes their home in the elemental planes. Several quasi-elemental and demi-elemental planes also exist, sitting at the junctures between the elemental planes such as the Elemental Plane of Cold that lies between the plane of air and water. *Akadi rules the Elemental Plane of Air. *Grumbar rules the Elemental Plane of Earth. *Kossuth rules the Elemental Plane of Fire. *Istishia rules the Elemental Plane of Water. The Energy Planes The Negative and Positive Energy Planes are no less extreme than their elemental counterparts, and very few beings are native to these planes. No deities make their home in either plane. Elemental Chaos The Elemental Chaos was created as a result of the Spellplague. All six of the elemental planes, as well as some other planes such as Jotunheim, were absorbed into the Chaos. At the bottom of the Elemental Chaos lies the Abyss, which was pushed there by Asmodeus once he gained godhood, thus bringing an end to the Blood War. The Outer Planes The home of most of the deities of Toril, these planes are many and varied, most take on the traits of the powers that inhabbit them. They can be divided into three different categories, the Celestial Outer Planes, the Neutral Outer Planes and the Fiendish Outer Planes. Celestial Planes Arvandor Home plane of the Elven Pantheon and the drow goddess Eilistraee. Hanali Celanil maintains a portal to Sune's realm in Brightwater, and the entire pantheon maintains a portal to the House of Nature. Everan Ilesere maintains a portal to the realm of Hlal in Dragon Eyrie. Brightwater Home plane of Lliira, Sharess, Sune, Tymora and Waukeen. Sune maintains a portal from her realm to Hanali Celanil's realm in Arvandor. Sharess also has a small realm on Heliopolis, the home of her native pantheon. Tymora maintains a portal to Green Fields. Dwarfhome Home of Moradin and the rest of the dwarven pantheon, except for the duergar and derro deities. Dweomerheart Home plane of Azuth and Mystra, as well as their subordinates Savras and Velsharoon. Velsharoon is generally not trusted by the other deities, but they suffer his company, and he suffers theirs to gain protection from Talos. Gates of the Moon Home of Selûne, Finder Wyvernspur, and Shaundakul. Golden Hills Home of the gnome pantheon, excluding Urdlen (who tunnels beneath Hammergrim). The Golden Hills also connects to the realm of Gond. Green Fields Home of the halfling pantheon. Brandobaris has a realm here, but he rarely resides in it, preferring to establish a small, temporary realm wherever he rests. Green Fields has a connection to the realm of Tymora. House of Knowledge Home of Deneir, Gond, Milil, and Oghma. Gond maintains a portal to the Golden Hills. House of the Triad Home of Helm, Ilmater, Siamorphe, Torm and Tyr. This is the closest thing to a heaven that exists in Toril's cosmology. Neutral Planes Dragon Eyrie Home of the draconic pantheon. Tiamat maintains a portal to this plane. Hlal maintains a portal to the realm of Erevan Ilesere in Arvandor. Heliopolis Home of the Mulhorandi pantheon and Tiamat who maintains a portal to the Dragon Eyrie. House of Nature Home of Chauntea, Eldath, Gwaeron Windstrom, Lathander, Lurue, Mielikki, Nobanion, Shiallia, Silvanus, Ubtao and various animal lords and the deities of many nature-oriented creatures (e.g. centaurs). The deities of the plane maintain a portal to Arvandor. Jotunheim Home of the giant pantheon. Warrior's Rest Home of Garagos (who is hostile to the other deities residing in Warrior's Rest), Red Knight, Tempus, Uthgar ( who is distant to all but Tempus) and Valkur. Fiendish Planes The Abyss Home of many demon lords, sages theorize the plane has 666 layers. The Barrens of Doom and Despair Home plane of Bane (in isolated location), Beshaba, Hoar, Loviatar, and Talona. Blood Rift Home of various evil outsiders. Clangor Home of goblinoid and kobold deities. Deep Caverns Home of various Underdark deities. Demonweb Pits Home of Lolth and the drow pantheon. Eilistraee also has a realm here, but she rarely visits it. The pantheon maintains several portals to the Abyss. Fated Depths Home of Sekolah and Blidoolpoolp. Fury's Heart Home of the destructive deities Auril, Malar, Talos, and Umberlee. Hammergrim Home of the duergar deities Deep Duerra and Laduguer. Nine Hells Also known as Baator, the Nine Hells is home of the nine archdevils and various other devils and evil outsiders. Some of them maintain portals to the realms of Bane, Loviatar, and Talona. Nishrek Home of the orc pantheon. The Supreme Throne Home of Cyric. Before Cyric arrived, this plane was dominated by the Slaad and other creatures of chaos. Demiplanes Demiplanes are small planes falling into the 'finite' size category. There are countless demiplanes throughout the universe of Toril, some are built by powerful wizards seeking to aquire a private space for themselves, some naturally evolve into being, yet others are willed into existence by the deities. Cynosure is a form of demiplane. Sildëyuir Home of the star, or mithral, elves. Other Planes The Fugue Plane Home of Jergal and Kelemvor. Cynosure Cynosure is a small plane located very close - cosomologically speaking - to Toril. It is a plane only accessable to deities, and they can only access it from within their own domains. The plane is considered neutral ground by all the powers of Faerûn, and the plane is used as a meeting ground to settle disputes and decide upon punishments for those deities who upset the Balance (as defined by the guidelines Ao left). The only way in and out of Cynosure is through the portals leading to each deities realm, and it cannot be accessed by spells that normally allow planar travel, so the plane cannot be used as a way station as Toril can. There can at times be several deities meeting in Cynosure, and yet other times the demi-plane lies empty for extended periods of time. While portals from Cynosure lead to the realms of the Elemental Lords, none of them have ever been known to appear on the meeting plane. Faerie The elves are not natives of Toril. Rather, they first began to emigrate to Faerûn twenty-five millenia ago from the plane of Faerie. The realm of Faerie is a twilight land lush with forests, home to the fey and their Seelie and Unseelie Courts. References Sources * * * Category:Cosmology